My Cat Looks Like My Dad

by Thao Lam

Overview

New from the creator of Wallpaper and Skunk on a String comes a witty and uplifting picture book that will speak to families of all varieties about how family really is what you make it.

Minimal text paired with bright paper-collage illustrations create comparisons on each spread in which the narrator talks about their family—especially the striking similarities between Dad and the cat. Both have orange hair, love milk, start their days with stretches, appreciate a good nap, and are brave (some of the time). The narrator is more like Mom, with wild hair, blue eyes, and a love of dancing.

A surprising twist at the end reveals the narrator’s unexpected identity, also hinted at with clues in the art throughout the book. Warmth and whimsy in the illustrations add a playful balance to the story’s deeper message about the love that makes a family a unit, no matter how unusual it may look from the outside.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771473514
Publisher:	OWLKIDS BOOKS
Publication date:	04/15/2019
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	676,091
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

THAO LAM is the critically acclaimed author/illustrator of THAO, Wallpaper, My Cat Looks Like My Dad, Skunk on a String, and The Paper Boat, named a best book of 2020 by Kirkus, Booklist, School Library Journal, NYPL, and others . She studied illustration at Sheridan College and has an insatiable love of colored and textured papers, which she uses to create her exuberant collages. She draws inspiration from the stories she hears, from the beauty in everyday things, and from the work of the many illustrators she admires. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

…charming…A special twist at the end serves to remind us that family can be defined in many ways beyond blood and physical resemblance…Lam's brightly colored paper-collage illustrations are unique and silly, a winning combination.

The New York Times Book Review - Jenny Rosenstrach

Never didactic, this is a warmhearted window into the things, expected and otherwise, that make up a family.

Booklist - STARRED REVIEW

"A gentle and adorable book that ticks all the boxes."

Canadian Review of Materials

"Lam’s brightly colored paper-collage illustrations are unique and silly, a winning combination."

The New York Times

"The humor plus the comforting message that "family is what you make it" is likely to solidify My Cat Looks Like My Dad as a new favorite."

Shelf Awareness

"Lam’s brightly colored paper-collage illustrations are unique and silly, a winning combination."

The New York Times

08/09/2019

PreS-Gr 2-This endearing picture book explores the remarkable similarities between a plump, furry yellow cat and a portly, blond, mustachioed man. According to the narrator, their cat and their dad both love milk, engage in a daily stretching routine, and enjoy singing. Initially a simple catalogue of the ways a pet can resemble its owner, the story also becomes a heartwarming affirmation about the validity of all kinds of families when the narrator's identity is revealed in a clever twist ending. Lam's illustrations, a combination of pencil drawings, watercolor, and collage artwork, perfectly complement the text. Rendered in a soft palette and embellished with lively patterns, the artwork is suffused with retro charm. A delightful first foray into the concepts of foreshadowing and subverting reader expectations, this book is likely to prompt discussion about how one might pick up clues over multiple readings. Its lighthearted humor will play well with storytime crowds, while its detailed illustrations make it an equally good choice for one-on-one read-aloud sessions. VERDICT Clever and sweet, with broad appeal for all ages, this is a title young readers and their adults will reach for again and again. A first purchase for picture book collections.-Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA

School Library Journal

2019-03-12
"Family is what you make it." Indeed.

An at-first-unknown narrator tells readers all the ways that their cat and their dad are alike: They look alike; they both love milk and sardines and belly rubs; they incorporate stretches and naps into their daily routines; etc. Lam is tricky in doling out clues as to the narrator's identity. A female character does appear about halfway through, but a few pages later she is identified: "Mom is always picking up after my dad. And my cat." (A dirty sock and a dead mouse, respectively.) It's not until the final three spreads that the narrator is finally revealed, and readers will immediately flip back to the beginning to try to spy this character in the illustrations (in the book's 15 spreads, eight include the narrator, who may have gone completely unnoticed in most of them). Lam's trademark paper-collage artwork has a 1970s aesthetic: Dad sports flowered shirts with patterned collars, aviator-style glasses, big hair, and, while stretching, head- and wristbands. Mostly white backgrounds keep the focus on the colors, patterns, and characters. Both have light skin; Dad has sandy-colored hair, and Mom wears her straight black hair in a ponytail.

A tale sure to find a home among myriad types of families. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews